1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet seat and lid quick release hinge system. Although embodiments of the invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for enabling quick release of a toilet seat from a toilet bowl, for releasing a toilet seat without undoing mounting screw or bolts from the toilet bowl and for putting down the lid when the seat is put down from a raised position.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A toilet seat generally requires more frequent replacement than a toilet bowl due to wear and tear, and a toilet seat can be replaced without replacing the entire toilet. A toilet seat also can be replaced to match any bathroom color scheme or motif.
In general, a toilet seat is affixed to a toilet bowl by placing mounting screws or bolts through a flange portion of the toilet bowl and by fastening screw nuts from the bottom surface of the toilet bowl to the mounting screws. Conventionally, to replace the toilet seat, each of the screws or mounting bolts needs to be unfastened from the washers and nuts. However, as mounting screws and bolts rust or corrode especially in a moist environment, the screws or the mounting bolts can be hard to loosen or unfasten. Furthermore, the nuts can recess due to the passage of time, making the nuts practically inaccessible and toilet seat replacement difficult.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,070,295 to Hulsebus discloses a “Quick Release Seat Hinge With Swivel” formed of a “mounting post” fixed to the toilet bowl, a “hinge post” connected to the toilet seat, and a “latch member” that engages the hinge and mounting posts. The latch member is moved to “a latched position” to “directly or indirectly” engage the mounting post and hold the toilet down. The latch member is also “movable to an unlatched position wherein the latch member is directly or indirectly disengaged from the mounting post” to allow the seat to be lifted up from the mounting post. The latch member also has a “top wall” and, when the latch member is in the latched position, the top wall “substantially completely covers the mounting post”. The hinge post and latch member form two, moving parts that must engage each other. Dirt and filth can enter the joints between these parts, which forms a breeding ground for bacteria. Moreover, the moving parts can become separated and lost or broken. What is needed is a toilet seat and lid quick release assembly with a hinge mount formed as a single piece and a quick release lever that engages the hinge mount from beneath.